GREAT HERITAGE OF LIVING MASK MAKING TRADITION IN ASSAM: A CASE STUDY ON SRI SRI BOR ALENGI BOGIAI SATRA, TITABOR, JORHAT DISTRICT, ASSAM

Abstract

Masks are artificial faces or covering of partial and whole body for concealment, usually to assume and to create various emotions and states of mind as love, anger, hate, fury, joy, fear, disgust, humour, sorrow etc. Sometimes people use mask to hide feeling or as layers or covers to conceal or safety shield of the person. The tradition of creating and utilizing masks in medieval Assam is thought-provoking, particularly wooden and bamboo masks. Neo-Vaishnavism or worship of Lord Vishnu/ Krishna was spread throughout Assam by the great saint Srimanta Sankaradeva (1449–1568) as part of the resurrection of unwavering devotion that occurred over all of India (bhakti). Sri Sri Bor Alengi Bogiai Satra is a renowned Neo- Vaishnavite monastery of Jorhat district, near the river Kakodonga. The particular Satra has lengthy and gorgeous tradition of the bamboo split made mask- making and its significant uses at the Vaishnavite Bhaona/ theatre based on Bhagavata- Purana texts and written by Srimanta Sankaradevaa and his followers. It is relevant to note that Jorhat district including River Island Majuli (now a district) is the prime centre of Neo-Vaishnavism in Assam, where significant tradition of mask making is sustained in several Satras. The paper has examined the history of the Sri Sri Bor Alengi Bogiai Satra as well as the economic, social, cultural, and aesthetic relevance of the masks and its great heritage of living tradition.